Who could be the next USMNT coach? 10 candidates – from Klopp to Henry | USA
Gregg Berhalter is out. So, who comes next? With a home World Cup looming, US Soccer has some thorny questions to work through. Do they chase someone with experience at the international level or look for a fresh face? Do they look for a big name or someone with domestic credibility? Do they want a hired-gun for one tournament or someone who can build beyond 2026?
The decision will sit with technical director Matt Crocker, who, after an exhaustive process in 2023, decided to rehire Berhalter. Oops.
Here are 10 candidates who could take the job, but please note that this is not an exhaustive list otherwise this would be a very long article.
Jim Curtin, Philadelphia Union
The case for: Curtin is the second-longest tenured coach in MLS. In Philadelphia, he’s led the Union to remarkable regular season success, making MLS Cup final in 2022 and winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2020. He was linked to the USMNT job after the 2022 World Cup, going as far as to say he’d be open to leaving his head coaching gig to work as an assistant for the right head coach. Once Berhalter returned, though, Curtin opted to stick with Philadelphia.
The case against: Curtin’s stock has been hit over the past two years. The Union are now 14th in the MLS Eastern Conference, and for the first time in 10 years there is speculation that he is on his way out. He also has no international experience. And for all his success, Curtin has failed to get over the line in the postseason in Philadelphia – the closest domestic benchmark for what it would mean to navigate a high-stakes knockout tournament.
Suitability: 4/10
Likelihood: 5/10
Steve Cherundolo, LAFC
The case for: Cherundolo will be the early frontrunner. He’s reached back-to-back MLS Cup finals with LAFC in the last two seasons, winning the title in 2022. Cherundolo’s calling card is adaptability. He can turn a team into something greater than the sum of its parts, toggling between a possession-oriented system and fast-break counterattacks depending on the opposition. US Soccer has made a big deal in the past about hiring someone who can establish an identity, but Cherundolo’s willingness to shapeshift his personnel and tactics is well suited to the international game. He may not have coached internationally, but he was part of three World Cup squads with the US as a player.
The case against: Cherundolo is only three years into his MLS coaching career. Taking on the US job, with the pressure of a home World Cup, may feel like too much too soon. He could also be a hard sell to a roster that has been loyal to Berhalter, most notably captain Christian Pulisic. But of the domestic candidates, Cherundolo checks plenty of boxes.
Suitability: 5/10
Likelihood: 7/10
Thierry Henry, France men’s Olympic team
The case for: The darling of CBS’s Champions League coverage would bring some stardust to the role – and he has experience coaching and playing in MLS. Henry’s time as a coach in MLS went (slightly) better than his miserable experience with Monaco, giving him some domestic cache. And his work as an assistant under Roberto Martínez with Belgium gave him exposure to international management.
The case against: Henry’s managerial career has, if we’re being kind, been up and down. As a club coach, his winning percentage is a measly 25%. Although he wasn’t dealt a great set of cards at Monaco, his immaturity as a man-manager was exposed. In Montreal, he was doused with accusations that his team’s style, based on pretty passing moves, came with no substance. But Henry has a shot to build momentum this summer. He will take charge of France’s men’s national team at the Olympics, and a gold medal in Paris could prove he’s evolved as a coach away from the day-to-day grind of the club game.
Suitability: 3/10
Likelihood: 2//10
Gareth Southgate, England
The case for: Southgate may not inspire a burning in the loins, but his resume is the strongest of any potential candidate. For as languid as England’s play has been at times in his tenure, he still boasts the best record knockout record of any of the nation’s modern managers. Southgate understands how to squeeze out tournament wins: be defensively solid, rely on moments of magic from individuals and prioritize set-pieces. If the 2026 World Cup is meant to be a galvanizing moment for the sport in the US, success on the pitch will matter more than fluid patterns of play. Southgate may not turn the US into Spain, but boring can win. And his players appear to love him.
The case against: Landing Southgate will be tough. If England go on to win Euro 2024, he’ll most likely stick around until 2026, taking him off the table. And if he does leave, he may not be interested in the pressure of leading a country into a home World Cup after eight exhausting years with England. He could also prefer to return to the club game; Manchester United were reportedly interested in Southgate before the club triggered an extension in Erik ten Hag’s contract. If Ten Hag gets off to a slow start next season, a jobless Southgate would probably be high on the club’s hitlist. But if he’s committed to international management, the US would be a solid exit ramp.
Suitability: 9/10
Likelihood: 2/10
Jesse Marsch, Canada
The case for: Marsch is the most qualified American candidate. He has experience coaching in MLS, the Premier League, Champions League and, now, internationally. His on-the-pitch style meshes well with the kind of up-tempo, pass-and-move approach that US Soccer’s high command considers its DNA.
The case against: Even if he wanted to, it’s hard to see how Crocker could extricate Marsch from Canada. Marsch only joined Canada in May and already has the team rolling, taking them to the semi-final of Copa América. And then there’s the question of bad blood. Marsch interviewed for the US job in 2022 before Berhalter was re-hired … and he doesn’t sound bitter about the experience at all. He also recently took a dig at Berhalter and the USMNT squad for this summer’s dismal performance, saying the team “lacks discipline”.
Marsch may still be thinking about the USMNT, but the US have almost certainly moved on, at least while Crocker remains in charge. Perhaps, with the specter of a home World Cup, the two sides could overlook their differences. But that doesn’t solve the problem of figuring out how to pluck him away from Canada, who are building towards a home World Cup of their own – and who had to get creative with Marsch’s contract to land him in the first place.
Suitability: 9/10
Likelihood: 3/10
Joachim Löw, Unattached
The case for: Any Löw interview would probably follow along the lines of a Pat Riley recruitment pitch: walking into the room and dropping a bag of his medals on the table. For the bulk of his 15 years with Germany, Löw turned the country into serial winners. He led them to five successive semi-finals, the Euro 2008 final and a World Cup win in 2014. He’s been out of work since leaving Germany in 2021, but Löw told Kicker in 2022 that he’s keen to return to international management.
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The case against: Löw has not coached outside Germany since 2004. Given the insularity of US Soccer, Crocker may not want to bring in a strong-willed manager from the outside. Plus, Löw’s success with the Germany occurred largely early in his tenure. By the end, his style started to grate. In his final two tournaments in charge, Germany were knocked out of the 2018 World Cup in the group stage and exited Euro 2020 in the last 16.
Suitability: 8/10
Likelihood: 3/10
Wilfried Nancy, Columbus Crew
The case for: If US Soccer is looking for a homegrown coach who can end the Berhalter-induced snooze-fest, Nancy is the guy. Under Nancy, Columbus Crew have become a continental juggernaut, playing the most exhilarating, free-flowing football in North America. Columbus bagged the MLS Cup in his first season as coach in 2023 and then reached the Concacaf Champions League final. If part of the US’s problem under Berhalter was that they were tactically outclassed, then Nancy would solve that immediately.
The case against: Nancy’s rise has been meteoric. He’s only been a head coach for three full seasons and has never coached outside the US or been around an international locker room. Plus, Nancy’s tactical demands are exacting – and in international football, there is little time for coaches and players to work together. Nancy did work as an assistant to Henry at CF Montréal, which opens up the tantalizing prospect of a Nancy-Henry double-ticket to help fill in some of the gaps in Nancy’s international knowledge. But that would be a pricey combination.
Suitability: 7/10
Likelihood: 2/10
David Wagner, Unattatched
The case for: The former coaching prodigy is out of work after being sacked by Norwich at the end of last season. A graduate of the Jürgen Klopp’s School of Heavy Metal, Wagner is an evangelist of intense, counter-pressing football. He built his reputation first with Borussia Dortmund’s reserves under Klopp before taking his first head coaching role in England. After guiding Huddersfield to promotion, he kept the club in the Premier League for a season on a shoestring budget. Along with plenty of experience coaching in England and Germany, Wagner is also a former USMNT player who understands the US Soccer landscape.
The case against: Wagner’s stock is on the decline. In his last three roles, he’s only lasted a season. And whereas his teams were once a bundle of tenacity and attacking intent, they have become more staid at his last few stops.
Suitability: 5/10
Likelihood: 6/10
Hervé Renard, France women’s national team
The case for: Renard is an international specialist with experience coaching Zambia, Angola, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. In 2015, he became the first coach to win two Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries. He also led Saudi Arabia to their stunning win over Argentina in the opening game of the 2022 World Cup. He’s a vibes coach, one who knows how to crank up the intensity and who has mastered the art of steering teams through tournaments. Renard excels in taking struggling yet talented teams and injecting them with some needed fire. Sound familiar? Oh, and he’s going to be available on the cheap. Renard will lead the France women’s team at the summer Olympics but has already confirmed he will leave after the Games.
The case against: Renard is a coaching mercenary – and he’s no tactical wizard. If the US are looking to appoint someone to maximize 2026, then he’s ideal. If they’re looking for someone to build an infrastructure that goes beyond the World Cup, then he’s the wrong man.
Suitability: 7/10
Likelihood: 5/10
Jürgen Klopp, Unattached
The case for: He’s Jürgen Klopp. His post on social media celebrating 4 July did send the USMNT fanbase into a tizzy, if you’re looking for breadcrumbs.
The case against: Fans can dream, but it’s not happening. No matter the charm of Tim Howard, it’s tough to envision Klopp cutting his retirement short to coach the US. The former Liverpool boss left the Premier League because of burnout. He’s said he will return to football, though perhaps not as a full-time club coach. That leaves open the possibility that he will favor the international game. But Klopp has rejected advances from the German national team, and it’s hard to imagine his first job post-Liverpool will be with a national team other than his home country.
Finding enough coins buried between the cushions will be tough, too. Klopp earned a reported $26m a year at Liverpool. Can US Soccer stomach that bill? They made an ambitious move when hiring Emma Hayes, committing to match Berhalter’s salary and making her the highest-paid female coach in the world. Hayes makes a reported $1.6m a year; Berhalter was given a slight increase to $2.2m after Hayes arrived. There is nothing in the CBA requiring the federation to match the salaries of the men’s and women’s coaches, but attracting Klopp would probably mean paying the men’s coach 10-to-15 times more than the women’s coach.
Suitability: 8/10
Likelihood: 1/10
